Santa Cruz Latest News Briefs – Nov. 1, 2015

Do you know a Santa Cruz County employee or team of employees who have done an outstanding job? Members of the public are invited to nominate County employees for a recognition award. Selected employees will receive a proclamation and cash award at a County Board of Supervisors meeting in early March. More information and nomination form can be found here. Nomination deadline is December 11.

Eighty homeless families will find new homes thanks to a $1,128,852 award from the California State Department of Social Services, Housing Support Program (HSP). The monies will be used by the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department to support local homeless families participating in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program to become permanently housed and self-sufficient. Last year, through state HSP funding, the County housed 48 families, including 85 kids and 58 adults.

Last month, it was announced that the multi-agency initiative to house 180 chronically homeless Santa Cruz County residents, 180/180, has surpassed a new milestone by doubling its original goal, finding supportive housing for 360 people since it started in 2012. The program is now called 180/2020 and aims to end chronic homelessness in Santa Cruz County by 2020. The most recent Santa Cruz County homeless point-in-time count showed fewer than 2,000 homeless persons in Santa Cruz County, a 44 percent drop from 2013.

The County of Santa Cruz last month announced the award of a three-year $1 million Depart of Justice grant aimed at breaking the cycle of violence among the County’s Latino and African American men and boys. The award, one of the largest DOJ grants awarded in California this fiscal year, will allow the further implementation of the Santa Cruz County Youth Violence Prevention Plan, which was released in May.

On Friday, November 6 in celebration of National Adoption Month, Judge Rebecca Connolly, in coordination with the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department, will be finalizing the adoptions of 21 children who had been placed in foster care. This is the sixth year that Santa Cruz County has designated a special day during the month to celebrate adopted children and their new families. For information on being a foster parent or adoption go here.